RIFLE SHOOTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 261, 3 November 1932, Page 16

RIFLE SHOOTING.

THE MILITARY SHOOT. A WELL-ORGANISED EVENT. FEATURES OF TK$ PROGRAMME. r ' The weather, which was responsible for the postponement of the military meeting on Labour Day, threatened to ruin the event again on Saturijay. However, the afternoon was fine, and the programme was completed. Th<;re were over three hundred competitors, from schoolboys to veterans, and some really good shooting was witnessed. In «fii£e ot the heavy entries the competitions were run through with smoothness anal precision, and the organisers deserve every credit- for the way in which they iiandled the meeting; which was, probably, the biggest of the kind ever seen on Penrose Ritle Range. The team matches, caused great interest and were well foughjt out. The first.was the "knock-out" on'the, plates at two hundred yards. Practically every unit in the Auckland province was represented. This match was won by Auckland City "B" after a shoot-off with Engineers. It was curious _to seej City and Engineers fighting it out in tie final, as these two units have met maiiy times on Penrose. This City team was led by Fred Bowus, who, although a newcomer to the game, is rapidly making a.aiame for himself. He was ably backed bjj S;- C. Wells, who has recently shown majrked improvement at Service; Ivan Spry, who has shot with credit at Tfentham,: J. M. Jessop, a Mount Albeit Grammiar schoolboy, .who has been well coadhcd at school and in his club; and last tfc E. Boulton, who has long been an enthusiastic coach. The "Suffolk" team match was the biggest event, and icarried with it the Hailyburton Johnsfcone Cup and the famous Gordon Shield. This fell to the City Club "A" team with a total of 22 bulls and 31 iuners, "which represents 53 hits with 55 shots. The team was led by C. J. M. Clark, to whom the City Club owes a great deal feir his work as service coach. Clark is one. of the best exponents of the service game in New Zealand, and has once run to secpnd place for the New Zealand championship. Other members of the winning team were:—H. Simmonds, who has held the championship no less than three times, and has led the Wanganui teams to victory many times. Simmonds has shot at Bisley (1919), Australia (1929), and in almost every big meeting in the country. G. G. Kelly, although not a brilliant performer, is a cool-headed, steady rifleman, with wide experience of all classes of firearms, and is the craok Auckland .22 target shot. P. J. Pring hits once won his club championship for botlh service and "bull'seye" work. Pring is a most reliable team man. Last, but by rno means least, is C. J. Robieson. one of Vbe best of Auckland's men with the .303 rifle. He had his early training from Captain Boulton at Mount Albert Grammer School, and was one of the team from that school which brought the Earl Roberts Ta-ophy to the Dominion. It was no sturprise to keen followers of the game to see this team win the championship. The Allcomers championship fell to Ivan Spry, one of City's jrfnior shots. Ivan is son of Jim of that ilk, who has shot on Penrose for thirty yeairs and is still going strong. E. Boulton; winner" of the territorial belt, is an honorary member of the City Club, and the same who shot in City "B" in the "knock-out" teams match. A. G. Degenkolbe, wbo won the Cadet championship, is another of the Mount Albert Grammar School team, and, incidentally, won B grade ia the City Club in 1931. The pleasing feature c>f this meeting was the success of the boys -foom the secondary schools. To those mentioned should be added the names of J. M. Duncan and R. Wakefield. Duncan was only four points from the winner,, while Wakefield won one match and was sixth in the final.

It is hoped that now* the meeting has been so successfully revived that it will be once more made an annual affair.